A Guide for All of Those Lost Somewhere Between an Education and a Career
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| Weary Australia Day Reveller in London (source TNT Magazine) |
Touchdown
Its early September and you epic summer Euro adventure has drawn to a sad and climatic end. Your wallet has tried its best to weather the drunken sieges to its gates, mostly to no avail and what is left lies in ruin and despair. A budget you once were so sure you would stick to, was forgotten several thousand dollars ago. Dull aches come and go as your liver grumbles something about that last night in Ios. Scar tissue lines the outer film of your bloodshot eyes, still recovering from an overload of sightseeing ancient monuments and artefacts. You swear you could pry your eyes out and never sightsee again if that's what it took. Its about this moment when you realise...it's all over. Your Ryanair flight descends water logged with fresh bullets of rain. White cold serious faces pack your sardine can of a flight. Locals roll words off the tongue, you have never heard without an abbreviated 'o' or a 'y' at the end. You look below hoping to catch a glimpse of green grass, but all you can see is a grim, greyish blue cloud as if it were bound to the earth itself. The reality of a situation you have tried to avoid is now upon you, its time to start a new life.
Your plane makes a near crash landing, customs give you a hard time with unnecessary questioning, your passport is stamped, a multicultural montage of people stream towards exits. You try your best to navigate down an escalator - but a curt voice cuts through the cold wet air 'your standing on the wrong side'. A tube? What the hell is a tube? Where are the trains? This one pound coin looks too much like $2. The novelty size notes are too big to even fit in your wallet. Macca's doesn't stock Grand Angus burgers. Its all very confusing. Where on earth is Shepherds Bush?!
First things first, the most important asset you can possibly have at this moment and for the rest of your London experience is an oyster card. It wont be your first oyster card as they are legendary for evaporating the more pints you sink, but you must purchase one none the less. This is the easiest way to get around the city as all trains and buses are linked to your oyster. It is also about 50% cheaper than buying standard train and bus tickets. You should look at getting a weekly ticket zone 1-3 charged to your oyster to begin with to make travelling around in your initial week breezy and hassle free.
Things you can discard at this point include thongs, t-shirts, shorts, skirts, sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hats, sun burns, after sun cream, sunflowers, sun bathing, sun baking, sun dresses, sun light...generally just the sun.
First Week in London
Lodge yourself in a hostel. For those who have spent the last 2/3 months travelling this will be a breeze, for those silly enough to go straight to London prepare yourself with anti rodent devices, bag locks, air freshener and anti creep replant. I would recommend staying in a large hostel to increase the sociability and the likelihood of not being a complete loner in your first couple of weeks. I have stayed in a couple of hostels in London, its not for everyone but The Clink in Kings Cross was a winner for me. If you want to get closer to the Australian community and decrease your commute time when house viewing, Belushis in Shepherds Bush isn't a bad spot.
What next
So maybe its day three. You are coming to the end of an uneasy period where you aren't sure if you had alcohol tremors or it was just really cold. You were shaking a lot - you did drink quite a bit in Europe, but you're not used to getting rained on everyday either. It must be that nasty rain surely.
If you have survived this far you've done well. You have probably made some awkward friendships with the other loners in your hostel and you have probably realised the pub food in England tastes like boiled dog compared to what your used to.
Anyway its time to find a home. Yes you are away from the nest and away from the tight clutches of your parents grip, but its not so bad - it just means hanging up your towel, washing your clothes and cleaning your dishes.
Where to House Search
You have two options here and this is where the great divide begins. Choose your path as clambering up its slippery walls is seldom done once the journey proceeds. To go West or South is to join the Australian caucus of bro-ism, flag waving and beer sculling. To go East or North is to abandon your fellow countrymen in search of a lifestyle of hipsters, cafes and communal coolness.
Each has its draws, while East offers the alternative types a cultural haven not even imaginable by Australian standards, the West is more like suburban Australia and all your mates live 5 minutes away. Out West you will probably become the bogan you never knew you could be and your accent will undoubtedly become stronger. Out East you will probably learn to cast a cynical glare on the sloppy Aussies, gregariously swinging their miniature beer bellies as they crawl from bar to bar.
For argument sake if your going West the biggest Aussie community is in Shepherds Bush. There are so many Aussies guarding the street corners, that 'She Bu' is known for its thong wearers even in Winter. Smaller but still very sizable communities also exist in Acton, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Fulham, Putney and Clapham. As a general marker if you get out of a tube station and there is the Australian ex-pat newspaper (TNT Magazine) stand, you are probably not far away from a Davo, Stevo, Robo or Chriso. Yep you are right at home.
As bogan as the Aussies in London might first appear you will have a lot in common with them being both travellers, both bogans and both here to have a good time. They will almost certainly form the majority of your friendships at least initially, unless of course you opt out of the kangaroo heavy chaos to live with some Brits.... well there are no Brits in London so maybe it'll be Pols, Irish, Saffas, Kiwis, Hungarians, French, Italian or Spaniards. Probably a mixture of the afore mentioned to be more accurate.
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| Australian Flag in South London (Source BBC News) |
The best sources for house share is probably Spare Room, followed closely by Gumtree and Room Buddies. Other avenues also exist such as Speed Flatmating which operate all across the city. The most important thing to do when moving in is NEVER sign a lease. You are a traveller and therefore you lifestyle is transient. Often you will move out if your favourite housemates are gone, or if someone keeps eating your cheese. I personally moved for cheese eating reasons, but mainly to be closer to friends at total of 3 times in my year and a half stint. The last thing you want to do is get locked in to somewhere so always insist on paying cash. Your own room generally starts at 90/100 quid a week. You should never pay more than 80 quid a week to share a room.
To be honest its unlikely your going to get a winner on your first place. The important thing is that you move out of your hostel to save on the scores of the Queens Pound going walkabouts from your wallet. If you have to, find somewhere cheap and then use it as a base to look for somewhere else. My first house, which I both loathed and loved, had 20 residents - over three stories of rooms packed with 4 people a piece. Gunnersbury Lane Acton, you gave me life but crippled my soul. I will hate and love you forever.
Where to do the Necessities
So you have found a place. A steady diet of Gyros, Pide, Kebabs and Fried Chicken were your staples when travelling. You might have lost control of your kayak a couple of times on the river, with the heavy loving influx of grease. Now all you are craving is fresh home cooked meal and stable bowel movements.
Once you have got a place and want to do some shopping you want to go to ASDAs, Morrisons or Tescos. Don’t shop at any Tescos Express shops or anything with the word 'express' as they will be a rip off. Also don’t shop at the off licenses for groceries as they are also a rip off - you can however find some cheap drinks here.
Essential Admin
You want to get your life sorted out now basically. You need the following to work – a National Insurance Number and Bank Account. Once you acquire these necessary tools you have a world of employment opportunities awaiting.
After you are feeling somewhat settled I would totally recommend you find the local doctor. Take some proof of your address, then go to the doctors and ask to sign up for the National Health Service, it is totally free. I took months to do it and once hid from an ambulance because I hadn’t applied for the NHS and didn’t want to pay. I really did need to go to a hospital too. The lesson here is don’t drink next to glass windows and apply for the NHS as soon as possible because you along with me are undoubtedly foolish when drinking, this is part of the reason you even considered moving to London.
The next step is to get rid of your Vodafone sim and throw it to the wind. Now you can get the world best mobile provider Giff Gaff! Welcome to insane savings…'thank you very much author, you saved me squillions.'
Where to Look for a Job
Those looking for a job now are fortunate enough to have missed the Global Financial Crisis which crippled the British economy ten fold what it did in Australia. Luckily the job market is on a steady rise, as is the British Pound.
Regardless of your profession or aspirational profession, looking for a job at first might prove somewhat difficult. Use the opportunities this bustling city has to further your career prospects back home and avoid the minimum wage bar tending and hospitality jobs if possible.
One point should however be made. Hospitality jobs are a great starting point while you are looking for something better. If you are looking for office admin jobs - Office Angels has a decent amount of work usually available. The hospitality agency - Admiral Recruitment, is also a good start point if you need some income while looking for a better job.
If you can, avoid minimum wage jobs in your long term prospects. Minimum wage will only bring in 200-250 quid per week. When your rent is around 100, your groceries around 50 and your oyster around 30 this does not leave a lot of money left to play.
Start Living
Hopefully by now you are in a job somewhat career relevant, you have a house and you have a wealth of new life experiences. Most likely you haven't listened to my advice but that's ok, its your own personal journey. By this stage you are now "living the dream" as we in the business call it.
London's grey throbbing heart while at first is gloomily off-putting, will grow on you as the weeks and months trickle by. The city doesn't get any lonelier with time, but soon you will find peace in the bustling solitude. While scenes in Melbourne and Sydney are enjoyable, London's sheer size means there is simply just more to do - enjoy the numerous art exhibitions, the outdoor street festivals, the niche markets, the quaint beer gardens, the grimy nightclubs, the curry on brick lane, the street art in Shoreditch, the lack of customer service and the eclectic mix of people from all works of life, running like clock-work from Heathrow to Cockfosters.
London is both tender in its beauty and brutal in its wrath so try to look past the agony and see the positives for what they are. Try not to remember shifting houses by carrying 3 suitcases on a packed tube. Forget the moments when your pay cheque is spent and you have to survive on just mayonnaise and rice. Try not to dwell on getting absurdly inebriated on Saturday night and not seeing that exhibition you wanted to on Sunday. Look forward to making lifelong friends, even though you may ultimately end up worlds apart. Take a note of your new found ability - to get along with just about anyone from any situation on earth. Relish your opportunities to learn about yourself and the world around you. But most importantly remember - as real as your life in London feels, it is only temporary and one day you will wake up from this bitter-sweet dream back home in Australia, so enjoy it while it lasts. Myself being in a position now with 2 years back in the real world, you never really leave London and there will always be a piece missing once you leave. It will always be your nostalgic second home and the place your younger self was born by fire into real adulthood and self awareness - even if only realised upon your return.
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